Wednesday, March 02, 2011

The Central Issue

I still don't get how they can eff up Interleague Play schedules so badly every year. It's bad enough that it exists, the least they could do is attempt to balance it a little.

Once again, the Red Sox play a division in the other league....kinda. There are 6 IL series. Two are supposed to be against your "natural rivals" (read: excuse to get a Mets-Yankees series at both their stadiums every year). For the Red Sox, that "rivalry" has become so fuzzy, I don't even know if it exists any more. First it was the Braves. Then it was the half-Braves, half-Expos. Lately the Phillies have figured prominently, sometimes. This year it's half Phillies and half....nobody, I guess. So there are five more series. Four of those are against the division we're *supposed* to be playing, the NL Central. (Cubs and Brewers at home, Pirates and Astros away.) Then, for no reason, it's the Padres of the NL West. I can see having one less game against a division with a small number of teams--but the NL Central is the only one with six! Six teams, six series--yet we only play four of them, even without two dedicated to a fake rivalry!

Let's see who the Yanks have: Besides their two Mets series, it's Cubs, Reds, Brewers...and Rockies! Another west team thrown in in an NL Central year. So they only play three NL Central teams.

Orioles: They've got their two Nationals series, and then Pirates, Reds, Cards....and Braves! An east team thrown in.

Toronto: Are they picking out of a hat? A hat that's not labeled "NL Central" at all? Astros, Reds, Braves, Cards, Pirates, Phils.

Let me ask you something--if the 5 teams of the AL East are playing the 6 teams of the NL Central, and the Cubs only play 2 of their Interleague series against AL East teams, what the fuck division are the Cubs "playing"? Let's check out the Cubs' IL sked, because I'm quite curious: Red Sox, Yanks, White Sox, Royals, White Sox. Two east... three central!

Also, I realize schedule making is hard. Maybe bring that old couple back. I don't know, maybe they initially said "we'll try to get each division to play a certain other division, no promises." Still, terrible job on this.